Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

"So what do you want to do now?"


Back at the Party

Erza's POV

"Are you enjoying your cake?"

I looked up from my strawberry heaven to see the face that had once haunted my nightmares, Jellal.

"Yes." I replied curtly. "Why did you push Natsu and Layla together?"

Jellal smiled, "Because, Layla desperately needs to learn to let loose, and no one is better at that then Natsu."

Jellal bit his lip and looked around, it was almost as if he was uncomfortable, but that didn't make sense.

"I was wondering if you would like to join me in a dance."

"O-okay," I stuttered, too taken aback to even refuse.

He pulled me onto the dance floor, still looking abnormally nervous. We swayed in silence, I couldn't think of a thing to say.


Jellal's POV

Half-way through the second song I finally broke, "So, how you been?"

"Well."

I was not taken aback at her gruffness, "How have you been dealing with Lucy leaving?"

She flinched visibly, "How did you learn about that?" Erza hissed.

I paused and seemed to be considering an answer, "I met Lucy once I was free, she mentioned leaving the guild." Jellal said cautiously.

"You saw her? Where? When? How was she? Was she with someone?" Her questions were rapid fire and obviously desperate.

I looked at me with thinly concealed pity, but she was past the point of caring. This was going to be hard, the last thing I wanted to do was lie to Erza, but I also couldn't reveal Lucy.

"Yes I saw her, at the capital when I was released, she seemed . . . determined." That was true, she was determined to have me released into her custody.

"Was she with that man she mentioned? Her new husband?"

"No, when I saw her she was alone," That was also true, Sage hadn't come till later.

"Why wasn't she with him?" I could see Erza getting angry.

"When I saw her it was only for a short while, her husband might have been off doing something else." Or he might have never existed, but I had only seen her for a short while before I was taken away to be processed out of prison.

"When you saw her, what was she doing?" I could hear the desperation in her voice again, and once again I was struck by how off it was, Erza didn't show emotion, she certainly didn't show weak emotion.

"When I saw Lucy she was brokering a deal, she seemed preoccupied so I wasn't able to talk to her," Yes, she had been brokering a deal for my freedom, "I'm sorry," for not being able to tell you more.

I saw Erza sigh as she settled back into the beat of the song, "Sorry, its just that Lucy left so quickly and we've hardly had any contact with her."

"None at all?" I was digging my own grave.

Erza frowned, and I couldn't help but notice how attractive that look was on her, "Well, we got letters, but no return address, the letters have gotten less and less frequent and the last one was moths ago."

I nodded understandingly, I remembered that letter. Lucy had written and rewritten that letter at least fifty times, and she made me send it. She had been crying too hard to even make the trip to the post. After I had sent I had asked her about it, she said that that would be her last letter. She had gotten down to an attack per week and she could barely stand in the days that followed them. That was a dark time, for everyone.

At least until we started using Sage.

"So, hows life with Layla?" I snapped back into attention.

"Life with Mother is unique, I suppose it's a lot like living in a guild. The only difference is that Mother refuses to make herself the official guild master," and we all knew why, she refused to be guild master because that would mean we would be alone once she died, she didn't want anyone to depend on her and then leave them hanging.

What she didn't know was that everyone in town depended on her, all the children and all the parents to mage children in the tribes.

We all needed her.

And we all knew that we couldn't.

Erza bit her lip and seemed to be contemplating something, "Why do you always call Layla 'Mother'?"

"I think it suits her," that and the fact that I refused to call her by a name that wasn't hers.

"So do you like her?"

"She's my friend."

"Just a friend?"

I studied Erza, she was blushing, badly. She also seemed unable to maintain eye contact with the me, but she couldn't seem to stop peeking at my face. I went through the last four questions and I felt the smile grow across my face.

"Erza, . . . are you jealous?"

Her eyes flashed and I had a split second to brace for impact, I felt the air leave my lungs but I refused to flinch at the pain that was currently my midsection from where she punched me.

"I-I'm-(gasp)-going to-(gasp)-take that as a yes?" I looked at Erza and was pleased to see it a lovelt shade of red, I didn't mind the pain so much as long as I could see her look this cute.

"So what if I am?"

I placed a hand on her cheek and forced her to look at me, I stared at her eyes that seemed to be a little bit wetter than normal. I forced her to look at me face to face, inches apart. "If you were jealous, then I would be rather force to do this."

Then I closed the distance, and my lips met hers.


Erza's POV

When Jellal kissed me my mind was blank, I couldn't form a coherent thought.

That didn't stop me from kissing back.

Jellal tasted fresh and almost minty, normally minty wasn't my thing but right now I couldn't help but think that mint was delicious. I moved my hand to his head to get a better grip, my fingers digging into his scalp and stroking his blue hair. Jellal's fingers left trails of heat as they stroked my cheek, and although I was about five seconds from tearing his clothes off and ex-quipping out of mine I couldn't help but think about how sweet he was being.

I hadn't associated sweet with Jallal in a Long time, not since after he turned evil in that dungeon, But as he held me like a porcelain doll and kissed me like he as afraid he'd hurt me, that was one of the first actual thoughts in my head.

It had been so long since I was treated like an actual girl.

I loved every second of it.

It certainly helped my blush when we came up for air and found that nearly everyone was watching us and cheering for more.


Back at the Clearing

Lucy's POV

I couldn't believe myself. I had never been this bold, sure I used to use my wiles to get deals back in the day, but this, this was completely different.

And it was with Natsu!

To be fair he seemed to be just as shocked as I was.

"Um, I was planning on just taking a dip to cool off, but that was before I realised that you weren't wearing a bra." Natsu replied truthfully, and it was kind of funny to see him realise what he just said. "I-I mean! That's not what I ment-"

"Forget it, Natsu." He seemed to sign in relief, "I know you don't have the balls to do anything."

I watched in amusement as his expression became indignant.

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

I smirked, "I mean you have a girl here in only her underwear who has consumed just enough alcohol to lower her inhibitions, but not enough to not be responsable for her actions and you? Your just floating here with a face as red as your fire."

I don't know why I was pushing it, it wasn't like me, I hadn't been this bold in years. Maybe it was that glass of wine I drank before I stepped out on that stage, nervous of how Natsu would think on that ridiculous dress.

All I knew was that I wanted something, and I couldn't help but think that it was cruel to deny a ding woman's wish.

So I closed my eyes and did what I had been dreaming about for years.

I kissed Natsu Drageneel.

It was just a little peck on the lips, the kind nervous school girls give to their first crush.

Then I pulled away from his stunned face and swam to the edge of the pool, I pulled my dress on, still not letting him see my front. I started on the path, never looking back.

I made it about thirty feet before I collapsed.